Heartstopper - Netflix

[MrsBooks]

Binged it, loved it, binged it again to Shazam all the music!!

Anyone else watched it?

Gay, geeky teen falls in love with supposedly straight, popular, rugby playing lad. Just very sweet high school drama.

I like the actor who plays Ben especially in his sheep jumpers! I agree it would be good if he can be in the next 2 seasons but can’t quite see him with Imogen… she’s not stupid and after the frank discussion Nick had with her I think she’ll be wary of entering into any sort of relationship unless she genuinely believes they care for her.
The Jessie J moment was lovely 😊

Ben, like Nick, also has great hair!!

Irrelevant comment I know but I just think his hair needs to be acknowledged.

I hope Sebastian Croft stays in the show, and while there could be a storyline where he tries to convince himself he's straight by dating Imogen (or uses her as a beard), Nick would have a quiet word with her as soon as he knew. I love the actor but I'm not sure the character deserves a redemption arc...

Alice Oseman has said Isaac is asexual aromantic and gets a storyline around that in series 2.

Nick's homophobic brother will be back from university in series 2, so there will be that to navigate. They could also delve into Tara's homelife (supportive) and Darcy's (homophobic). Elle and Tao will need some new storylines of their own; in the comic they finally kiss in Paris.

I wonder if they'll do the Paris trip as season 2, Charlie's mental health and recovery as season 3, and the bits after that as season 4.

If anyone's looking for a 'new' thing to watch, netflix has just put Pride back on again, which is suitably upbeat.

I think they could do a clever little bit where Harry starts accepting nick and Charlie (which does happen in the book) and this makes Ben struggle with realising he wouldn't have been totally ostracised if he had been open about Charlie. He clearly still has a lot of feelings for Charlie and is very jealous about nick and Charlie's relationship .
There are some comparisons online with how sex education was a bit of a Ben and Charlie storyline that progressed but that it's great that heartstopper didn't redeem Ben the way Adam was able to have a relationship with Eric in sex education despite being quite a toxic and unhealthy relationship for a long time .

My goodness. ❤️ I haven’t loved anything like I’ve loved this in a very long time. I’ve just finished and I’m left with a euphoric warm fuzzy feeling. The first love you wish you had. I just loved everything about it.

It was so real. The purity and electricity of early romantic relationships. That casual homophobia and bullying which they internalise and navigate. The awkwardness of all the teenagers. Most of all I love the joy as that felt particularly real. There are some excellent dramas about other aspects of gay experience but I love so much how this has been joyful. My gay friends are all successful, happy and loved people. I know having a show like this would have had a great impact for some of them when they were younger.

Will stop raving but totally loved.

Oh and I’m so glad there’s a spoiler somewhere in the comics they stay together and have a dog and jobs. If ever you wanted a TV couple to work out. 🥺😊

True 😊💜

I'm on my milliontyseventh watch.

I have watched Young Royals, handsome devil (has the lush Andrew Scott in).
Also highly recommend Big Boys on channel 4 or all4. It's a story of a friendship between a gay boy whose father died and an slightly older (25) straight boy at Uni. Thinks it's based on the life of the writer/narrator.

I've also been watching the vlogs by the actor who plays Isaac - on YouTube - although makes me feel ancient as it's mainly the cast making selfie peace signs much like my kids do ! They all seem a good bunch though . Funny to see it was filmed during end of second lockdown.

The vlogs are fab! I especially like yesterdays as Kit features more and it’s interesting to see how he is quieter and more independent than the others, but still has a real sense of fun and friendship. Joe is so lovely and Sebastian is such a nice guy as well. Will seems really chilled and they all just get on so well. And obviously Tobie is great for doing them in the first place! Last one next week 🙁

Loved Big Boys - so good!
At the risk of showing my age/untechy nature - where do you find these vlog things of which you speak??!! What do I need to google.....

YouTube!!

Tobie Donovan's YouTube channel

Yes! Tobie’s vlogs are great! What a lovely lad he is. In a way, I enjoyed them along the same lines as the series - was great to see Tobie going from leaving his job at Sainsburys, telling his bf he’s going to be in a Netflix show and being so in awe of being on set ( “I’ve got a trailer!”). Looks like lots fun was had and friendships made on set. Sigh.

I work with schools and libraries so thought I’d better check the adaptation out seeing as students go insane whenever we buy the books. Loved it. Re watched it, then watching little clips here and there. Will no doubt watch it again with DD. Looking forward to not thinking about it quite so much though. And social media - wow! - it must be insane for the two leads. Nothing like sitting your A levels to bring back down to earth. They are just so, so great as Nick and Charlie. The characters in the books are so, so endearing and it’s quite brilliant just how accurately that’s conveyed.*

And thank you all - I genuinely thought I must be a bit of an anomaly in being in my 40s and liking show primarily aimed at a younger audience so much (not that it matters - you can like whatever you want). I, too, read a couple of reviews by critics acknowledging it’s good tv but not feeling they could appreciate it as outside target audience and didn’t really get that, as I loved it.

*I’ve actually signed up for a Zoom talk via the Guardian with Alice O and Joe L in July talking about the making of it all. Might help with the feeling I’m watching something apparently just for teens!

There's loads of threads on Reddit basically about how to wean yourself off heartstopper as an adult and why it's had such an effect on those not in its target audience . Talk about how it's so comforting as it's such a fairytale but also can become a bit drug like in that it's so hard not to keep watching once you start. There's also a lot of very obsessive threads that will just make you rewatch and reread all the books to see the little details people have spotted though so be warned !

True story

Ha ha! Oh wow @LethargeMarg - some people have it really bad, having to wean themselves off!

I am tempted to book a ticket for this event as well…I have read almost all the books and am following some of the cast on SM. I am reasonably balanced I think but there is something special about this show, the cast, crew and music that has had an impact on me and is my guilty pleasure I guess!

Omg yes!!! I actually rewarched schitts creek once I managed to wean myself off of heartstopper, literally such good vibes 💗💗

I’ve just (like 5 minutes ago) finished watching this. I couldn’t have said it better myself. The final scene ofNjck coming out to his mum was just gorgeous. I have a 13 yo DS, relationships are yet to come, but on the horizon!

I need to wean myself off this!!!

I would say at least 5 days out of 7 I’m rewatching episodes of this. It’s just so lovely.

It’s fine! We all have our guilty pleasures! They are now casting for season 2 which looks like it’s filming in September!

The good news is that the more I watch it the less I have naughty thoughts about Nick 😂

I have finally accepted the actor is a teenager and not someone I should fancy 😂

Alarmingly the actor who plays Nick looks remarkably like a university boyfriend I had by the same name. Although he wasn’t actually very nice, but very cute looking.

He seems like a lovely young man as do all the cast. I am really looking forward to seeing a play that Joe Locke and Will Gao are in next month in London. And to season 2 of Heartstopper obviously!